Did a former Beverly Hills doctor use the fat he liposuctioned out of patients to fuel his car?The odd accusation was allegedly made in lawsuits filed by former patients and unearthed by Forbes.com.Unfortunately, if he was in fact fueling his car with fat, the practice was illegal, according to California state health officials.

An investigation has been launched by the California public health department into the now-closed liposuction practice of Craig Alan Bittner, who once claimed on a Web site that he created "lipodiesel" from his patients' fat and used it to power his Ford SUV and his girlfriend's Lincoln Navigator, Forbes.com.California law apparently forbids the use of human medical waste to power vehicles.

Dr Craig Alan Bittner, who runs the Liposculpture clinic on Rodeo Drive, said that he had created “lipodiesel” with his patients’ excess subcutaneous fat.

Several former patients have filed lawsuits against the doctor, claiming he allowed his unlicensed girlfriend and an assistant to perform procedures, causing mistakes that left the patients disfigured, attorney Andrew Besser, who represents three of the former patients, told Forbes.com.

Bittner's practice, Beverly Hills Liposculpture, closed in November.

Dr Bittner left a message on his clinic’s website on November 20 to tell clients he was moving to South America to volunteer at a small clinic “where I can help those most in need.”